§ 24. Mr. Mott-Radclyffeasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is taking any further action with regard to the recent sentence of three years imprisonment by a Roumanian court upon Mr. A. W. Evans, a British subject and former director of the Steaua-Romana Oil Company; and what facilities for adequate legal defence were accorded to Mr. Evans during the trial.
§ Mr. MayhewYes, Sir, His Majesty's Government will do their utmost to obtain fair legal treatment for Mr. Evans on his appeal. As regards the second part of the Question, no adequate facilities were given for the legal defence. Owing to the purge of the Roumanian legal profession no counsel was available willing to undertake Mr. Evans' defence. A lawyer was finally appointed by the 497 examining magistrate but even then, despite repeated protests by His Majesty's Legation, Mr. Evans was not afforded the normal facilities for consulting him.
§ Mr. Mott-RadclyffeCan the hon. Gentleman say whether he would be prepared to circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the text of the note of protest from His Majesty's Government to the Roumanian Government?
§ Mr. MayhewI will certainly consider that suggestion.
§ Mr. MolsonIf this is the kind of thing that is going on in Roumania is there not a stronger case for outlawing Roumania than for outlawing Spain?